Predicting the Intensity of Psychedelic-Induced Mystical and Challenging Experience in a Healthy Population: An Exploratory Post-Hoc Analysis

Kwonmok Ko,1 Ben Carter,2 Anthony J Cleare,1,3 James J Rucker1,3 1Centre for Affective Disorders, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK; 2Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, SE5 8AF, UK; 3South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, BR3 3BX, UKCorrespondence: Kwonmok Ko, IoPPN, KCL, 16 De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AB, UK, Email kwon.ko@kcl.ac.ukIntroduction: In psychedelic therapy, mystical as well as challenging experience may influence therapeutic outcome. However, predictors of such experience have not been sufficiently established. Determining predictors of their intensity is, therefore, potentially beneficial in targeting psilocybin therapy for depression.Methods: In a post hoc data analysis of a Phase 1, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-groups clinical trial, dosage, personality traits, affect, and individual data were analysed as possible clinical predictors. Eighty-nine healthy volunteers were randomised to receive a single dose of placebo, 10 mg of psilocybin, or 25 mg of psilocybin. ANOVA was used to analyse the relationship between dosage and mystical and/or challenging experience, and correlation analysis for all other variables.Results: The intensity of both mystical and challenging experience was strongly associated with higher dosage. Age was negatively correlated with intensity of challenging experience. Correlation between identified personality traits and either mystical or challenging experience was minimal, with the exception of positive correlation between neuroticism and challenging experience at higher dose. Neither positive nor negative affect indicated correlation with the intensity of either type of experience.Discussion: A limitation of this study is its post hoc, exploratory design; recommendations for further research are provided.Keywords: mystical experience, challenging experience, psilocybin, psychedelic therapy